But Carl Hasty said such a move could prove to be a big boost to the stateline economy.

"Our economic analysis found it could boost retail sales along the casino corridor by $16 to $25 million annually," said Hasty, a Tahoe Transportation District spokesman.

At issue is a proposal by the TTD to move a 1.1-mile stretch of Highway 50 from between the casinos at stateline to behind the casinos on the mountain side.

"That is the preferred proposal at this point," Hasty said.

That shift would create a new loop road that runs through an existing neighborhood of homes, rentals and businesses. As many as 75 properties would need to be moved or demolished to make way for the new road.

"Where would we go?" said Jeff Rivera, a renter in the neighborhood.

Hasty the move would reduce traffic congestion and make the street between the casinos more pedestrian-, bike-, and environmentally friendly.

It could also improve access to the lake and increase retail business along that stretch of road.

Hasty said transportation officials would need to acquire multiple properties in the area to make the new road possible. He did not rule out imminent domain as a possible tool, if necessary.

"We would make sure to find new places to live and to compensate those impacted," he said.

South Lake Tahoe's mayor acknowledged this proposal is controversial. Because of that, he reiterated a promise to concerned residents.

"If they want to voluntarily sell those properties, that's OK. But, the city has made it clear it will not use eminent domain to take those properties for that right of way," Tom Davis said.

Hasty said the proposal is currently in the environmental review process. He said it will be at least a year before that review is complete and the final decision-making process could even begin.

SLEEP TRAIN MATTRESS CENTERS, YOUR TICKET TO A BETTER NIGHT'S SLEEP!] CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE --WWW.NCICAP.ORG-- WE START TONIGHT WITH THE PLAN TO MOVE A MAJOR STRETCH OF HIGHWAY IN SOUTH BUT TOP OH. IT'S ONLY ONE MILE LONG, BUT IT'S STIRRING UP HUGE CONTROVERSY. -- IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. HIGHWAY 50 FROM PIONEER TRAIL TO HIGHWAY 207 IS SUPPOSED TO CUT CONGESTION AND BOOST BUSINESS ALONG THE CASINO CORRIDOR. MIKE TESELLE IS LIVE IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE WITH A LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL THAT COULD LITERALLY MOVE A FREEWAY WHERE SOMEONE'S LIVING ROOM IS RIGHT NOW. I'M STANDING ON HIGHWAY 50. A SICKLY, HERE'S THE IDEA. READ ABOUT HIGHWAY 50 FROM BETWEEN THE CASINOS TO MAKE THIS AREA -- REROUTE HIGHWAY 50. POSSIBLY, MAKING IT MORE PROFITABLE FOR BUSINESSES. IT WILL LITERALLY RUN RIGHT THROUGH WHERE SOME PEOPLE'S LIVING ROOMS ARE RIGHT NOW. WORRIED THAT PROPOSING SHIFTING HIGHWAY 50 WOULD RUN RIGHT PAST HER NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE ARE WORRIES THE ROAD WOULD RUN RIGHT THROUGH HIS FRONT DOOR. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR ROUGHLY 75 HOMEOWNERS AND EVEN BUSINESSES IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. RIGHT NOW, THE TAHOE TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT SEVERAL PROPOSALS. THEY WANT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO SHOPS, BUSINESSES, CASINOS, AND EVEN THE LAKESIDE ALONG THE CORRIDOR. REVITALIZATION EFFORTS HERE A LONG 50 ARE KEY TO THE TOWN'S FUTURE. IT'S CRITICAL TO OUR ECONOMY , CRITICAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. ONE OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES WOULD CREATE A NEW LOOP ROAD BEHIND AS CASINOS AND THE ROAD WOULD GO RIGHT THROUGH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK IT'S UNFAIR. NOT ONLY WOULD IT ELIMINATE LOW INCOME HOUSING NEAR THE STATE LINE, BUT IT WOULD ALSO, ACCORDING TO AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, BOOST RETAIL SALES FOR BUSINESSES ALONG THE CASINO CORRIDOR OR BY $16 MILLION TO $25 MILLION PER YEAR. DO THE POTENTIAL PROFITS OUTWEIGH THE RIGHT TO STAY? THEY WANT TO KEEP THINGS THE WAY THEY WERE. THE POSSIBILITY OF IMMINENT DOMAIN IS PROVING TO BE SO CONTROVERSIAL THAT THE MAYOR MADE THIS PROMISE THIS AFTERNOON. THEY WANT TO VOLUNTARILY SELL THEIR PROPERTIES, I HAVE NO PROBLEM. WE WILL NOT USE EMINENT DOMAIN TO TAKE THE PROPERTIES FOR RIGHT-OF-WAY. TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAY EMINENT DOMAIN REMAINS AN ISSUE WHEN THEY WOULD NEED ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, BUT THEY CANNOT RULE IT OUT AS A POSSIBILITY JUST YET. THEY DO SAY ANY IMPACTED RESIDENTS WOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR ANY MOVE TOWARDS TRYING TO MAKE THIS A REALITY AT THIS POINT IN TIME. MIKE TESELLE, BACK TO YOU. WHERE DOES THE PROJECT STAND AT THIS POINT? IT STILL A WAYS OFF. RIGHT NOW IT IS INDIAN BAR AND MENTAL REVIEW STAGE MEANS THE REVIEW IS NOT EXPECTED -- RIGHT NOW IT IS IN THE INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW STAGE. THE FINAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS COULD EVEN BEGIN AFTER THAT SO WE COULD BE TWO YEARS OUT ON WHETHER THIS POSSIBILITY

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